Striking mechanism of repeating-clocks



@EST AVA1LABLE COP' (Modl.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

C. 8. LEWIS. STRIKING MBGHANISM 0F REPBATING CLOCKS. No. 248,985.Patented Nov.' 1,1881.

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C. S. LEWIS.

STRIKING MBGHANISM 0F REPEATING CLOCKS.

No. 248,935. Patented Nov. 1,1881.

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STRIKING MECHANISM OF REPEATlNG-CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 248,935, dated Novemberl, 1881.

Application led December 13, 1580. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. LEWIS, ot' Waterbury, in the county ofNew Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Striking Mechanism ot' Repeating Clocks; and I dohereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as willenahle othersskilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which form part of this specitication.

My invention relates to an improvement in the striking mechanism ofrepeating-clocks, the object being to provide clocks of the type inquestion with striking mechanism or devices which shall be simple inconstruction, positive and accurate in operation, and of small initialcost; and with these ends in view my invention consists, first, in arepeating strike-movement, in the combination, with a toothed rack, ofacam or snail secured to the hour-hand socket and a twelve-hour wheelloosely mounted on the socket, but made friction-tight therewith bymeans ot' a plate-washer or other spring, whereby the hour-hand isadapted to be freely adjusted and yet always retained in proper positionwith relation to the cam or snail.

My invention further consists, in a repeating strikemovement, in thecombination, with a snail attached to the hour-hand socket, of a rackadapted to oscillate between the escapewheel shaft and dial-pinion.

My invention further consists, in a repeating strike-movement, in thecombination, with a snail attached to the hour-hand socket and asocket-wheel loosely mounted on the socket and retained in place byfriction imparted by a plate-washer or equivalent device, of a rackprovided with a short arm, which engages with the snail and with atoothed portion that moves between the front frame and dial-pinion.

Myinvention furtherconsistsin certain other details in construction andcombinations of parts, as will hereinafter be explained, and pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a plan view of a repeatingstrike-movement provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlargeddetail view, showing the improvement in the striking mechanism. Fig. 3is a transverse vertical section taken through the center skaft. Fig. 4is a detached View of the hourhaud socket. Fig. 5 is a similar view otthe hour-hand, and Fig.6 a view showing the hourhand secured in place.

A represents the center shaft of an ordinary strike-clock movement.

Bis the hour-hand socket, towhich the hourhand C is secured.

The minute-hand is attached to the projecting end a ofthe center shaft.

To the rear end ot' the hour-hand socket is permanently secured thesnail or cam E, which is of ordinary form and construction. Upon thehour-hand socket is loosely mounted the socket or twelve-hour wheel F,which is placed between the snail E and collet G on the. rear end of thehour-hand socket.

Between the snail and socket-wheel is placed a plate-washer, H, whichserves to force the wheel F in snug Contact with the collet G on thehour-hand socket, and thereby form a frictional engagement between suchparts, so that when the wheel F is revolved by the time-train it willtransmit motion to the hour-hand socket and rotate the same. Thisconstruction and arrangement ot` parts enables the hour-hand and snailto he secured to the hour-hand socket in proper relative position, whichneed not and will not be disturbed or disarranged when desired to adjustthe hands, and, further, allow of the ready adjustment ofthe handswithout interfering with the time-train, as the snail can be rotatedwithout moving the socket or twelve-hour wheel.

I represents the rack, the arni b ot' which is pivoted at c to the frontframe ot' the movement.

A short arni, d, is attached to or made solid with the arm b ot' therack. This short arm has its free or outer end bent at right angles toits length, the bent portion engaging with the periphery of the snailand regulating the descent of the rack. The outer end ot'the arm b oftherack is bent, as at c, to bring the toothed portion j' below the frameand cause the teeth g to mesh with the gathering-pins 7i on the thirdstrike-pinion The lock-work may be of ordinary construction, thecount-hook j thereof striking between the teeth of the rack until thelatter has been carried up to its extreme limit of travel, when thecount-hook drops over the end of the rack and allows the stop-wire toengage the stoppin on the third strike-wheel and arrest the movementofthe strike-train. When the counthook and stop-wires are lifted by thecentershaft staple, as in ordinary strike-movements, the rack will dropand fall a distance regulated by the position of the snail-as, forinstance, at the hour of one the snail will be in such position that therack will drop a distance equal to only one tooth, so that the clockwill strike but once, while at the hour of twelve the snail will be inproper position to allow the rack to drop a distance equal to twelveteeth and cause the clock to strike twelve. The gathering-pins on thethird wheel serve to engage with the teeth of the rack and carry it upto its extreme limit of travel.

Many different methods may be adopted for securing the hand to thehour-hand socket. In the drawings I have illustrated one form ofattachment. The end of the socket is provided with a notch, lc, in whichis inserted a projection, l, formed on the hand, whereby the latter isprevented from rotating independent of the socket.

y The rack is pivoted to the clock-frame so that the toothed p'ortionmay oscillate below the crownwheel shaft and above the center shaft, andhave a full oscillation without coming in contact with the mainstrike-arbor. By locating the rack substantially in the manner shown anddescribed I am enabled to apply it to nearly, if not all, the ordinaryTeight-day strike-movements without making any chan gc in the location ofeither the strike or time train or interfering with their operation.

From the foregoing it will be observed that myimproveinentis very muchsimpler and more economical in construction than the ordinary strikemechanism, as I am enabled to dispense with the ordinary count-rim,count-spring, count-stud, and not only avoid the expense andlaborincideut to such construction of parts, but obviate the complexarran gement of devices incident to such type of striking mechanism.

It is evident that many slight changes in the construction andarrangement of parts might be resorted to without departing from thespirit of my invention, and hence I would have it understood that I donot limit myself to the exact construction and arrangement of partsshown and described; but

What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a repeating strikemovement,the combination,with a rack, of a snailsecured to the QFST AVAILABLE COP" 248,935

hour-hand socket, and a twelvelhonr loosely mounted on the socketandinade i'riL tion-tight therewith by means of a platewasher or otherequivalent spring, substantially as set forth.

2. rlhe combination, with a striking clock` movement, having a snaillocated between the two plates and connected with the hour-hand, ofarack pivoted to the front plate of the clockmovement, said rack havingits toothed portion located on one side of its pivotal bearing, arrangedto engage with gathering-pins connected with the clock-movemen t, andthat portion of the rack on the opposite side of its pivotal bearingbeing provided with an arm arranged to engage with thesnail,substantially as set forth.

3. ln a repeating strike-movement, the combination, with gathering-pinsattached to one ot' the pinions ot' the st-riketrain, of a rack pivotedto the outside of the frame and formed so that the toothed portion shalloscillate be.- low or within the frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In arepeating strike-inovement,the combination, with a rack andgathering-pins for actuating the same, of' a snail attached to thehour-hand socket and a twelve-hour wheel loosely mounted on the socketand made friction-tight therewith by means ot' a plate-wash er orequivalent spring, substantially as set forth.

5. The combinaliomwith an oscillating rack, gathering-pins on one of thepiuions of the striketrain, and a count-hook, of a snail attached to thehour-hand socket, a short arm on the rack adapted to engage said snail,and

.a twelve-hour wheel loosely mounted on the hour-hand socket and madefriction-tight by means of a plate-washer or other equivalent device,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination,with a rack, of an hourhand socket, having a snailand hour-hand secured thereto against rotary displacement, and atwelve-hour wheel loosely mounted on the socket and made friction-tightby means of a plate-washer.l or equivalent device, substantially as setforth.

7. Thecombination,\vith an hour-hand socket, having a recess formedtherein, of an hourhand formed with a projection adapted to enter suchrecess and secure the same tothe. socket, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand andseal this 29th day of November, 1880.

CHAS. S. LEWIS. [L s] Witnesses:

H. B. FIELD,

F. B. FIELD.

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